Steam-pressure engine.



PATENTED MAR. 25 1903.

W. E. J. VAVASOUR. STEAM PRESSURE ENGINE.

. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26 1902. no MODEL. a sums-sum 1.

No. 723,628. PATBNTED MAR. 24, 1903.

. w. E. J. VAVASOUR.

STEAM PRESSURE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 26, 1902. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED MAE. 24, 19os.

W. E. J. VAVASOUR. STEAM PRESSURE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1902.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903. W. E. J. VAVASOUR.

STEAM PRESSURE ENGINE. APPLIOATION nun mo. 2a, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

No. 723,628. PATENTED MARL24, 1903. W. E. J. VAVASOUR. STEAM PRESSUREENGINE. N0 MODEL. APPLIOATIOK IfILnn D110. 26, 1902. 6 BHEBTS SHEET 5' Ea7 39 4/ Q) 8 No. 723,628. I PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

I w. E. J. VAVASOUR. STEAM PRESSURE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 26, 1902. N0 MODEL.

6 SHEETS-SHEET B.

l I I UNITED STATES \NILLIAM E. J. VAVASOUR,

OF TADOASTER, ENGLAND.

STEAM-PRESSURE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION-formingpart of Letters Patent No. 723,628, dated March 24,1903.

Application filed December 26 190 Too. whont it vnnty concern/.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. J. VAVA- SOUR, baronet, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, and a resident of Tadcaster, in the county ofYork, England, have invented certain new and useful Improved Steam andother Fluid Pressure Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the arrangements and combinations of parts, ashereinafter described and claimed, composing an improved steam or otherfluid pressure engine in which the pressure-supply conduits are asnearly as possible equal in cross-sectional area to the area of thepiston and extend with the same sectional area and passage-way from thecylinder to the source of fluid-pressure, such as the steam-generator,so as to entirely obviate frictional resistance of the fluid-pressuredue to contracted passages, intricate turnings, and small ports andvalve-openings common to engines as ordinarily constructed.

In conjunction with this feature my improved engine comprises adouble-head ed piston, the said piston-heads being located in separatecylinders which are coaxially arranged, are of equal diameters,and havetheir adjacent ends open, the two pistons being connected by apiston-rod. The outer ends of the pistons in the cylinders arealternately acted upon by the fluid-pressure, so that at each action theentire area of the piston is elfective and the area of the pistons actedupon by the pressure is always equal, whereby a more even action issecured, while with such a construction much of the friction or dinarilydue to packings connected with the piston-rods and the like is dispensedwith.

Further, the combination of parts composing my improved engine alsoincludes devices for operating the valves.

My improved fluid-pressure engine will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an irregular vertical section of the engine, taken about theline X Y of Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same engine, thecylinders being shown in section. Fig. 3 isa sectional elevation drawnto a larger scale than the previous figures to show a portion of thevalve-operating mechanism located below the cylinders. Fig. 4is a plansection of Z. $erial No. 136,551. (No modem the valve-operatingarrangement shown at Fig. 2, taken about the line X Y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5is a transverse vertical section taken about centrally between thecylinders about the line X Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isasimilar view to thatshown at Fig. 5drawn to alargerscale and illustrating a portion of thetrigger mechanism by which the valves are operated, Fig. 7 being a sidesectional elevation of the valveoperating mechanism shown at Fig. 6.Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 show the valve-trigger and its operative devicein several positions hereinafter referred to in the description anddrawn to a large scale. Figs. 12 and 13 show the same valve mechanism,but with the operative device reversed for reversing the motion of theengine. Fig. 14 isa face view of the valvecasing, drawn to a largerscale than Fig. 1, showing the supply-valve open and the exhaust-valveclosed. Fig. 15 is a similar view of the valve-casing to that shown atFig. 14, but with the supply-valve closed and the exhaust open. Fig. 16is a vertical section on the line X Y ofFig. 14.

The drawings show my device adapted as a double action high pressuresteam engine, and, as aforesaid, I employ a double-headed pistonconsisting of two separate pistons 1 2, connected by a piston-rod 3, thepiston 1 being located in a cylinder 4, while the piston 2 is located ina cylinder 5, the adjacent ends ofthe cylinders 4 5 being open. Carriedby the piston-rod 3 between the adjacent open ends of the cylinders andcentrally of the rod is a cross-shaft 6, extending laterally and havingslippers 7, Figs. 2 and 8, guided in their reciprocating motions inguideways 8, formed on or fixed to the bed-plate 9 of the engine. Beyondthese guideways 8 the crossshat't 6 extends and receives, asclearlyshown at Figs. 1 and 2, the front ends of connecting-rods 10. Thetwo connecting-rods 10 extend to the cranks of the motor-driving shaftof the engine, which is of the ordinary construction, and therefore itis not considered the drawings at Figs. 1 and 2,those cylinders can beconveniently formed in one casting, or they may be in sectionspermanently connecessary to illustrate the same in the drawnectedtogether, and the guideways for the cross-head slides 7 might well beformed as portions of the same casting, and all might be permanentlyconnected and supported from the bed-plate 9.

\Vith the cylinders and pistons of the type herein stated my objectis todeliver the presdesired.

sure-steam directly into the outer ends of the cylinders by passages orconduits which are equal or nearly equal in cross-sectional areawith thecross-sectional area of 'the cylinders themselves, and since the fullarea of the pistons themselves is acted upon I obtain the full benefitof the steam-pressure from the generator or other source. Not only doesmy construction and combination present this advantage, but also Idispense with the employment of packing for the piston-rods ordinarilyemployed, and thereby lessen friction and reduce thenumber of wearingparts. I therefore, as aforesaid, deliverthe pressuresteam directly intothe outer ends of the cyl inders by valve-controlled passages, which arepractically coaxial and are equal or nearly equal in cross-sectionalarea to the cross-sectional area of the cylinders themselves. To

this end also I fix to the outer end of each cylinder a valve-casing 11to carry a valve which when open is equal to the cross-sectionalarea ofthe cylinders,and to these valvecasings 11 the steam is supplied by thesteampipes 12 13, of similar and equal cross-sectional area, the pipes12 13 being connected in the arrangement shown by a pipe 14, which issupplied direct from the steam-generator by conducting-pipes 15, thesupply from the pipe 15 to the pipes 14 being controlled by a suitablevalve, such as is indicated at 16, and governed by a suitable or anapproved construction of throttle-valve l7, operated by a governor ofany ordinary type'18, driven from the main shaft of the engine.Obviously the pipes 12 13 may each separately communicate with thesteam-generator directly, ifso The exhaust from the cylinders passes 01fby passages 19 through valves 20, Fig. l.

A type of valve eminentlysuitable for employment in myim proved engine Ihave illustrated at Figs. 14 to 16 in further detail, although such aconstruction of valve is not new alone. The valve referred to consistsof two superposed shutters 21 22, located in gnideways in thevalve-casing 11 and extend- Y ing transversely across the outer ends ofthe cylinders, and these shutters 21 22, governing the steam-supply, arecapable of rectilinear sliding motions in opposite directions in thesaid guideways. An aperture is formed through each shutter in suchrelative position in the shutters 21 22 that when the latter are in oneposition relatively to each other, as at Fig. 14, the passage-way iscompletely open and is preferably of or about the same sectional area asthe cylinder. The shutters slide against a face-plate 23, which extendsentirely across the guideways, and this faceplate is formed with anaperture of the same size and coaxial with the passage of the conduit.When the shutters 21 22 are slid into another position, as at Fig. 15,the apertures therein do not coincide and the passageway is closed. Inthe same valve-casing 11, below the shutters 21 22, I provide twosimilar shutters 24 25 to govern the exhaust-aperture of the cylinder,and these shutters are likewise formed with apertures which can bebrought to coincide. to open the exhaust or not to coincide to close theexhaust-passage. With avalve soconstructed I provide means for givingthe requisite sliding motion to the shutters, and such means, as shownat Figs. 14, 15, consist of levers 26 27, pivoted to the face-plate 23,the upper arms of the said levers being respectively pivoted to studs 2829, which extend through slots in the faceplate, Fig. 14, from theshutters 21 22, while the lower ends of the same levers 26 27 engagestuds projecting, respectively, from the two shutters 24 25 of theexhaust-ports, and with this arrangement when the shutters 21 22 areplaced so that the steam-supply is open the shutters 24 25 will be soplaced that the exhaust-valve is closed.

The valve-levers 26 27 are connected by a bifurcated operating-rod 30,one fork of which is pivoted above the fulcrum of the lever 27, whilethe other fork is pivoted to the lever 26 below the fulcrum and so thatrectilinear motion of the operating-rod will close the steam-admittancevalve and simultaneously open the steam-exhaust valve, and vice versa.

To give the necessary motion to the valveoperating rod 30, the latter ispivoted to a bell-crank lever 31, Fig. 2, while the other arm of thesame bell-crank lever is pivoted to a rod 32, Fig. 1, passing through agland in the cylinder-casting. To the outer end of the valve-rod 32 ispivoted a connecting-rod 33, Fig. 1, which extends, as is shown at Figs.6 and 7, to a crank on a rock-shaft 34. The rock-shaft 34 is carried inbearings upon the frame or bed-plate of the engine or upon a bracketfixed thereto and is normally supported in one angular position by anyconvenient means-such, for instance, as a spring 35, Fig. 7. The end ofthe rock-shaft 34 projects through the open sides of a guide-cylinder 36into the interior thereof and at its end is formed with a T-shaped head37, the ends of the arms thereof being spherical or carrying bowls 38,and by the action of the spring aforesaid this arm is normallymaintained in a vertical position. 1

Within the guide-cylinder 36, into which the head of the rock-shaft 34extends, there is a slide-plate 39, which is shown on alarger scale atFigs. 3 to 13, and this slide-plate 39 has two circular ends 40 41,which fit or nearly fit the guide-cylinder 36, therebeing a depressionin the plate 39 near the two-ends 40 41 of the said slide-plate, and theslide-plate 39 is reciprocated, as hereinafter described.

In order to give motion to the slide-plate 39, there is a rod 42connected to one of the circular ends 41 and extending axially withinthe guide-cylinder 36.

Upon the slide-operating rod 42, which is squarein cross-section, thereis fixed a flanged collar 43, Fig. 4, which is adjustable lengthwiseupon the rod 42.

So far I havedescribed the operating means for the valves at the end ofone of the cylinderssay the cylinder 5, Fig. 1but I would have itunderstood that similar operating means and similar valves are fitted atthe end of the other cylinder, 4, the guide-cylinder of such operatingmeans for the cylinder 4 being located below one side of thecylinderaxis and the guide-cylinder for the valve mechanism forthesteam-cylinder 5 being fitted at the other side and below the axis ofthe latter cylinder, and the position of these guide-cylinders .isclearly shown at Fig. 5. This being so, the two flanged collars 43 uponthe slide-rods 42 are connected by a cross-arm 44, having end rings45,which engage between the flanges of the collars 43, and centrally thecross-rod 44 is connected by a vertical rod 46 to the reciprocatingcross-head between the cylinders. Thus when the pistons reciprocatewithin the cylinders 4 5 the slide-rods42 will accompany those motionsand carry the slideplates 39, the raised central portions of whichlatter operate to rock the T-shaped head 37 into an angular position, asis shown at Figs. 9 and 11, and operate the valves, say, to open thesteam-supply valve and close the exhaustvalve, holding the valves inthat position until the sliding plate is near the end of its travel,when the T-shaped head 37 will come into the gap of the slide-plate 39,be brought to its vertical position by the spring 35, and the nextsliding movement in the reverse direction of the slide-plate 39 willclose the steam-supply and open the exhaust-valve.

It will now be seen that by constructing the sliding plates withcylindrical ends, as

shown, the said plates can be revolved through an angle of one hundredand eighty degrees in the guide-cylinders 36 from the position shown atFig. 8 to the position shown at Fig. 12, and the order of the openingand closing of the valves can thus be reversed, and consequently thereversal of motion of the engine can be thus effected. The mechanism Iprovide for carrying out this operation consists as follows: Theslide-rod 42, which, as I have before said, is square in cross-section,extends and slides through a collar 47, carried in bearings upon theframework of the engine, in which bearings the collar 47 can berevolved, so that by turning those collars through one hundred andeighty degrees the slide-plates 39 can be reversed within theguide-cylinders 36. Any suitable means may be employed for turning thesecollars 47 through the necessary angles; but the same may beconvenientlyefiected by connecting one of the guidecollars 47 by a chainto a shaft 48, mounted in bearings parallel with the guide-cylinders 36,the opposite end of the shaft being fitted with a sprocket-wheel todrive by a chain 49 a shaft 50, also mounted in bearings, and the shaft50 carries a gear-wheel gearing with the teeth of a gear-wheel fixedupon the rotary collar 47, through which the other slide-rod 42 passes.Thus by rotating one-of the sliderods 42 through the necessary angle byany suitable means-for instance, by a hand-operated handlethe operationof one of such rods will produce the proper adjustment of the other rod.

The operation of the engine is as follows: The pressure-steam comesdirect from the generator by the steam-pipe 15, Fig. 1, and passesthrough the valve 16, which is practically of the same cross sectionalarea of opening. This valve may be of any approved constructiou, butthat indicated in the section at Fig. 1 shows the valve 16 to be of asimilar construction to the steam-admittance valves described in thespecification. The pressuresteam then passes the throttle-valve 17 andenters the pipes 14, 13, and 12. In the drawings, at Fig. 1, thesteam-supply valve to the cylinder 5 is open, and the steam passingthrough that valve acts fully upon the entire area of the piston 2,being wholly unimpeded by contracted passages, and therefore actsthereon with its maximum pressure. Thepiston-head 2, and consequentlythe piston-head 1, moves toward the left of Fig. 1 (the exhaustvalveupon the left-hand side being open) and by the connecting-rods 1O drivesthe motorshaft of the engine, and at the same time the rod 44accompanies the motion, owing to its connection 46 with the cross-head.The slideoperating rods 42 also follow the motion, carrying with themthe slide-plates 39, and the guide-cylinders 36 are so relativelysituated that the upstanding parts of the slide-plates 39,- Fig. 8, aresimultaneously brought away from the T-shaped heads 37. These heads 37instantly resume their normal vertical positions, as shown at Fig. 8, bythe action of the springs 35, Fig. 7, and immediately as thepiston-heads l 2 commence their return motion, the upstandingslide-plates 39 act on the T- shaped heads, and place them in an angularposition the reverse of that angular position which they previouslyoccupied. This motion, through the connecting-rods 33 and thecranklevers 3L, operates the bifurcated rods 30 of the valves at theends of the cylinders, opening the left-hand steam-supply valve of Fig.1, closing the adjacent exhaust-valve, closing the steam-supply valve atthe end of the cylinder 5, and opening the exhaust-valve for the samecylinder. The piston-heads then travel in the reverse direction, and atthe end of their travel the angular positions of the T-shaped heads 37are again changed by the slide-plates 39, and so the movements continueautomatically. As before explained, a reversal of the order of motionsof the valves for reversing the direction of motion ofthe engine can bereadily effected by the rotation of the sliderods 42, which act to bringthe sliding plates from the position shown at Fig. 8 to the positionshown at Fig. 12. By this valve motion, as described, the valves arefully opened and f ullyclosed and permit the engine to worknon-expansively, which can be economically and advantageously done withthe engine according to my invention constructed as hereinbeforedescribed, although, of course, I would have it understood that thevalves might be so adjusted or constructed as to cause the engine towork expansively.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In fluid-pressure engines, the combination with twocoaxially-arranged cylinders of equal diameters, the adjacent ends beingopen, a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the twopistons, a cross-shaft extending transversely of the piston-rod andconnected centrally thereto, slippers on the cross-shaft, guideways oneach side of the cylinder to support the slippers in their reciprocatingmot-ions, and connecting-rods from the crossshaft to the motorcrank-shaft; of a fluid-pressure-supply tube from the source offluid-pressure to the outer end of each cylinder, the supply-tubes beingequal to the cylinders in cross-sectional area, a pressure-supply valveat the outer end of each cylinder having a passage-Way equal in diameterto that of the cylinder, an exhaust-port formed laterally in the wallsof each cylinder in the outer ends thereof, exhaust-valves to govern theexhaust-ports, and means for operating the supply and exhaust-valves,substantially as described.

2. In afluid-pressure engine, the combina tion with twocoaxially-arranged cylinders of equal diameters having their adjacentends open, a fluid-pressure-supply tube connected to the outer end ofeach cylinder, the said tubes being connected exterior of the cylinders,and a supply-tube entering the conjoined tubes aforesaid andcommunicating directly with the source of fluid-pressure, all thefluid-pressure-supply tubes being equal to the cylinders incross-sectional area; of a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rodconnecting the two pistons, a cross-shaft extending transversely of thepiston-rod and connected centrally thereof, slippers on the cross-shaft,guides on each side of the cylinder to support the slippers in theirreciprocating motions, connecting-rods on the cross-shaft extending tothe motor crank-shaft of the engine, a pressure-supply valve at theouter end of each cylinder, the supply-valve passage-wa y being aboutequal to the cross-sectional area of the cylinder, an exhaust-portformed laterally in the cylinders near the outer ends thereof,exhaust-valves for governing the exhaust-ports, and means for operatingthe supply and exhaust valves, substantially as described.

3. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with twocoaxially-arranged cylinders of equal diameters, the adjacent ends beingopen, a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the twopistons, a cross-shaft extending transversely of the piston-rod .andconnected centrally thereto, means for guiding the cross-shaft in itsreciprocations, connections from the cross-shaft to'the motorcrank-shaft for driving the latter, a fluidpressure-supply tube from thesource of fluidpressure to the outer end of each cylinder equal incross-sectional area to the said cylinder, an inlet-valve at the outerend of each cylinder having a passage-way equal to the cross-sectionalarea of the cylinder, a lateral exhaust-port at the outer end of eachcylinder, and a valve to govern the exhaust-port; of valve-operatingmechanism consisting for each steam-cylinder, of a slide-plate having arecess at each end thereof, means for guiding the plate in itsreciprocations, a connection from the slide-plateto the reciprocatingcross-shaft to cause the slide-plate to accompany the reciprocations ofthe pistons, a rockshaft 34, stationary hearings to carry therock-shaft, a crank on the rock-shaft, connections from the crank tooperate the inlet and exhaust valves, a T-head on the rock-shaft tocoact with the slide-plate, and means for causing the T-head to assume avertical position when freed from the angular positions which the T-headis caused to assume by the upstanding part of the slide-plate,substantially as described.

4:- In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with twocoaxially-arranged cylinders of equal diameters, the adjacent ends beingopen, a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the twopistons, a cross-shaft extending transversely of the piston-rod andconnected centrally thereto, slippers on the cross-shaft, guideways oneach side of the cylinder to support the slippers in their reciprocating motion, connecting-rods from the cross shaft to the motorcrank-shaft, and a flnid-pressure-supply tube from the source offluid-pressure tothe outer endof each cylinder, the supply-tubes beingequal to the cylinders in cross-sectional area; of a slidingpressuresupply valve at the outer end of each cylinder, the passage-wayof which valve is equal to the cross-sectional area of the cylinder, anexhaust-port formed laterally in each cylinder near the outer endthereof and extending below the supply-valve, sliding exhaustvalves togovern the exhaust-ports, and mechanism for operating'the supply andexhaust valves, consisting of a guide -cylinder for each steam-cylinderarranged parallel with the steam-cylinders, a slide-plate 89 in eachguide-cylinder, a slide-rod 42 extending from the opposite ends of eachs1ide-plate,a crossarm having its ends adjustably connected to theslide-rods, and a connection from the cross-head of the engine to thecross-arm 44 to cause the slide-plate to follow the motions of thepistons, a rock-shaft for each cylinder mounted in stationary bearingsadjacent thereto,connections from a crank on the rockshaft for operatingthe supply and,exhaust valves, a T-shaped head on the end of therock-shaft entering the guide-cylinder to coact with the slide-plate,means for resiliently bringing the T-shaped head into a verticalposition when free, recessesin the slide-plate 39 near each end thereofto permit the T- shaped head to assume its vertical position, and anupstanding part on the slide-plate to rock the T-head in one directionto open the inlet and close the exhaust, and to rock the T-head in thereverse direction at the next motion to close the inlet and open theexhaust, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with twocoaxially-arranged cylinders of equal diameters, the adjacent ends beingopen, a piston in each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the twopistons, a cross-shaft extending transversely of the piston-rod, andconnected centrally thereto, means for guid ing the cross-shaft in itsreciprocations, connections from the cross-shaft to the motorcrank-shaft for driving the latter, a fluidpressure-supply tube from thesource of fluidpressure to the outer end of each cylinder equal incross-sectional area to the said cylinder, an inlet-valve at the outerend of each cylinder, having a passage-way equal to the cross-sectionalarea of the cylinder, a lateral exhaust-port at the outer end of eachcylinder, and a valve to govern the exhaust-port; of valve-operatingmechanism consisting of two guide-cylinders 36, slots formed in thesides of each cylinder 36, a slide-plate 39 in each guide-cylinder,circular ends to the plate to fit the said cylinder, a connection fromthe reciprocating cross-head of the engine for reciprocating .theslide-plate, a rock-shaft 37, stationary bearings to carry therock-shaft, a crank on the rock-shaft, connections from the crank to thesupply and exhaust valves for alternately opening and closing the samewhen the shaft 34 is rocked, a T-head 37 on the rock-shaft 34: enteringthe guide-cylinder between the circular ends of the guide-plate, andmeans for causing the T-head to assume a vertical position when the endsof the slideplate 39 are adjacent to the T-head, and an upstanding parton the slide-plate 39 to rock the T-head into an angular position in onedirection during the forward movement of the slide-plate 39 and to causeit to assume an opposite angular position upon a return motion of theplate 39, and means for revolving the plate 39in theguide-cylinderthrough one hundred and eighty degrees to reverse the angular positionsof the T-head and thereby the operation of the valves for reversing theengine, substantially as described.

6. In a fluid-pressure engine, the combination with two coaxialcylinders of equal diameters, the adjacent ends being open and at adistance apart, an open-sided frame connecting the open ends of the twocylinders, a bed-plate to carry the two cylinders, a piston in eachcylinder, a rod connecting the two pistons, a cross-shaft connected tothe rod, means for guiding the cross-shaft in its reciprocating motions,connections from the crossshaft to the main crank-shaft for driving thelatter, a flnid-pressure-supply tube to the end of each cylinder, thetubes being of equal cross-sectional area to the cylinders, asupply-valve at the end of each cylinder of an area equal to the samecylinder, alateral exhaust-port at the end of each cylinder, and anexhaust-valve to each exhaust-port; of means for operating the inlet andexhaust valves, consisting, for each steam-cylinder, of a rock-shaft 34carried in stationary bearings, a crank on the rock-shaft, connectionsfrom the crank to the supply and exhaust valves to alternately open andclose the same as the crank rocks to and fro, a T-head on the rock-shaft34:, means for causing the T- head to assume a vertical position whenfree, a guide-cylinder having slotted sides into which cylinder theT-head enters, a slideplate in the guide-cylinder, means for causing theplate to follow the reciprocations of the pistons, an upstanding part onthe plate to rock the rock-shaft in one direction or the other when itcomes beneath or above the T- shaped head according to the direction oftravel of the slide-plate, and means for simultaneously rotating theslide-plates in the guide-cylinders through an angle of one hundred andeighty degrees to change the direction of rocking motion of therock-shaft 34, and to reverse the engine, substantially as described.

- WILLIAM E. J. VAVASOUR.

Witnesses:

H. CLARKE, T. LAWSON KILHAM.

